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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26627887">For the Memories</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuiyiLu/pseuds/SuiyiLu'>SuiyiLu</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Humor Me (Webcomic)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Study, Charlie being a good sister, Family Issues, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Introspection, Light Angst, Lucian being Lucian, but also emotionally stunted</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:13:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,404</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26627887</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuiyiLu/pseuds/SuiyiLu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p><em>As the tape finally disappears into its slot and the familiar loud whirring of the rewind fills the room, Lucian sits back on his knees, practically bouncing in anticipation.</em> </p><p> </p><p>  <em>And then it began to play.</em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>While Charlie is out job hunting, Lucian finds a VHS tape. By the end of watching it, Lucian learns a few things about Charlie, and must confront uncomfortable feelings regarding his deceased mother and family as a whole.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Charlie Summers &amp; Jason Summers|Hides, Charlie Summers &amp; Lucian Summers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>For the Memories</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello there,</p><p>These are just some head cannons I have poured into this mini fic, as I wait for more content lol. I haven't written in a while and I know there's some flaws, so any criticism or insight in the comments would be welcomed. Or even just discussing Humor Me in general.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lucian had a tendency to wander. Since other children couldn't keep up with him, Lucian just had to find ways to entertain himself. Especially now that he was stuck with a very much <em>dozing</em> Mrs. Pence while Charlie was out job hunting. The old woman was perched in her armchair, and had fallen asleep quickly after picking up her book, spectacles still perched on her nose. He slouched out on the uncomfortable, plastic wrapped sofa with an exasperated groan; Mrs. Pence was nice n’ all but she was <em>boring</em> and her house smelled like sugar free butterscotch candy. The little light that flitted through the thick curtains, the cramped furniture, and odor all combined to create a suffocating atmosphere. He’d very much rather be in his own home, where the space was bright and open. After she gave a snore without waking, Lucian had enough. </p><p>“Bye Mrs. Pence,” He whispered, quickly leaving her house and traveling the short way to his own. </p><p>Lucian could already picture Charlie scolding him— <em>‘I told you to stay with Mrs. Pence when I’m out!’</em>. Oh well. Lucian would just have to give his best puppy eyes. He knew Charlie was weak to them, even if she pretended not to be. <em>‘Now what to do?’</em> Lucian thought as he meandered about the empty house. He could draw another picture of Shakespeare’s works for Dad, or have a play with his stuffed animals, or even better, <em>read</em> Shakespeare. So many options, yet Lucian frustratingly conceded that all those would be boring (or impossible) without Charlie. He would definitely get chewed out for touching the stove if he attempted a cooking project, so that was a no. </p><p>He hummed to himself, putting one hand on his hip and the other cupping his chin (just like detectives did), thinking hard. “Oh, I know! I’ll watch one of Dad’s movies.” He hopped over to the living room TV, and without thinking, messily began pulling DVDs out of their box stored underneath. He may not be able to read, but Lucian knew what the cover of Saving Tomorrow looked like. After it had left theaters, Jason sent a signed copy along with the usual letter to his children, and Lucian had watched it obsessively. It was his favorite of his Dad’s movies, mostly because it depicted Jason as the hero. </p><p>“Aha!” He exclaimed, holding up his prize to no one. Just as he was about to place the disc inside the DVD player, he heard a slight clatter. Lucian peaked down into the space the movie box had been, where a small, dusty black rectangle lay. He pulled it out and… it was a VHS tape? How odd, all their movie tapes were stored in the box next to the DVDs. Lucian tried to blow the dust off, only to leave a large dust puff to linger in the air, causing his small features to twist before sneezing. He resorted to wiping down the handwritten label. </p><p>“F-o-r the,” Lucian struggled to spell out the words, “m-mem-or-ize, lu-ke?” He sat in silence thinking before— “For the memories, Luce! It’s about me!” </p><p>Suddenly he felt bursting with curiosity! Here was a mysterious old tape, hidden away with his name on it, he couldn't <em>not</em> watch. Putting down his father’s movie, he only hesitated for a second, Charlie was supposed to check everything he watched beforehand. But if it had his name on it, it must be for him, and if it’s for him it couldn’t be anything bad… right? Oh well, Lucian would just have to put up his very best puppy eyes today. Another couple minutes were spent figuring out how to put the tape in it’s player, he’d watch Charlie do it countless times but never paid much attention. As the tape finally disappears into its slot and the familiar loud whirring of the rewind fills the room, Lucian sits back on his knees, practically bouncing in anticipation. </p><p>And then it began to play. </p><p>The screen was a grainy black, but there was the sound of jingling keys and a door opening, before someone's knees came into view. <em>“You’re still up?”</em> A man’s voice asked through a static sound that reverberated quietly throughout all the audio. He wasn’t sure he recognized it. </p><p><em>“How’s mom? Is she alright?”</em> Lucian gasped as he heard Charlie’s unmistakable voice, though it had an unfamiliar warble to it.  </p><p>
  <em>“She’s stabilized, still in ICU though.”</em>
</p><p><em>“You should be with her, in case something else happens.”</em> Came Charlie’s insistent reply. </p><p><em>“I know Pygmy Puff,”</em> He sighs tiredly. <em>“I just came back for a shower and to grab some stuff. How’s our little Kneazle?”</em> Lucian gapes as he realizes that it must be his Dad talking with Charlie. It was strange to hear them without being able to see either. </p><p>
  <em>“Stop with the nicknames—”</em>
</p><p><em>“Never—,”</em> Jason cuts in cheekily. </p><p>
  <em>“—And he’s fine, just really agitated tonight for some reason. Usually he’s so easy, I don’t know. …Maybe he knows something’s wrong.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“He’s got strong instincts, then. You look tired Charlie, go on and sleep.”</em>
</p><p>There’s a beat of silence. </p><p>
  <em>“What are you holding?”</em>
</p><p>The video abruptly cuts before a disconcerting jump back to a dimly lit version of his very own dining room. In the center of the frame is a girl holding a very red faced and frustrated looking baby. </p><p>And then it clicked. </p><p>“Charlie?!” Lucian couldn’t help but yell out whilst dramatically slapping both hands onto the TV screen. He immediately felt weird seeing her with long hair, she almost looked like a different person. She rubbed her temples tiredly. </p><p><em>“C’mon pleeeeease? Keep going! Please, Charlie?”</em> Jason whined behind the camera. </p><p><em>“No Dad, it's embarrassing.”</em> </p><p>
  <em>“It was working! Just one song, Pygmy Puff, please for me?”</em>
</p><p><em>“Not if you’re gonna film it, I—,”</em> Charlie sputters as she tries, and fails, to calm baby Lucian. <em>“Where did you even get that?”</em> She asks exasperated. </p><p>Jason lets out an excited sort of noise before beginning to ramble, <em>“We’ve always had a VHS camcorder, remember when you were little and we’d make home videos of you in your adorable little Hogwarts outfit.”</em> </p><p>Charlie lets out a long annoyed groan, <em>“No! Don’t bring that up, Dad, oh my god.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“You used to carry around a tiny wand and wave it at everything. You wouldn’t even say the spells, it was so cute—”</em>
</p><p><em>“Enough, Dad.”</em> Her voice raises as she interrupts, giving Jason a stern glare before walking towards the living room, the camera shaking as it follows. <em>“Why are you filming with some crappy, outdated camera right now? It’s late and Lucian won’t sleep and you should be back at the hospital. Seriously, put that down and go.”</em> There’s a quake in her voice, hidden under the layer of annoyance, and Lucian thinks she sounds tired in a way he hasn’t heard before.</p><p><em>“I’ll have you know that VHS is the highest form of cinematography, I mean just look at Harry Potter— the first film came out on VHS.”</em> Jason tries to joke, but the look his daughter sends his way is less than impressed. <em>“Ok listen, Mom’s probably going to be in the hospital for a while, and after tonight we don’t… we don’t know when she’ll wake up. But when she does, she’ll be sad at everything she missed. So, from now on, let’s record Luce growing up like we did with you. That way when your mom is all better, we can watch it together, and it’ll be like she was never gone. C’mon, one song, for the memories.”</em> </p><p>By now Charlie is sitting on the sofa, slowly rocking her little brother, an array of conflicting emotions crosses her face. Brows furrowed, expression sour and worried, she looks down on Lucian and thinks of her bedridden mother missing all the small, precious moments with him. At the time, she had yet again felt a guilty stab of helplessness for not being able to stop circumstances she couldn’t control. A small whine lets out from the bundle in her arms, and Charlie’s features melt into something warm. Slowly she smiles.</p><p><em>“...Okay,”</em> she mumbles.</p><p>Before rolling her eyes as Jason cheers.</p><p><em>“But only one!”</em> Adjusting her hold, Charlie smiles playfully down at baby Lucian. Briefly, her face disappears behind a veil of chocolate hair while giving an eskimo kiss. <em>“How ‘bout it, huh, Fussy Lucey? Wanna make some memories for mama?”</em> She coos. <em>“Uh, alright. What should I sing?”</em> With a nervous glance to the camera, she goes on, <em>“Hm, I think I know.”</em></p><p>Lucian listens, enraptured, as Charlie begins humming a melody. She sings in low whisper, the words tumble out with clumsy, imperfect pitch, but it’s slow and gentle; it sounds like a lullaby.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <em>“I'd like to walk around in your mind someday</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="center">
  <p>
    <em>I'd like to walk all over the things you say to me”</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="center">
  <p>
    <em>“I'd like to run and jump on your solitude</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="center">
  <p>
    <em>I'd like to rearrange your latitude to me”</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="center">
  <p><em>“You say you just want peace and you'd never hurt anyone,”</em> She stumbles on the drawn out words, leaving her and Jason giggling quietly. She shushes him quickly, continuing.</p>
</div><div class="center">
  <p>
    <em>“You see the end before the beginning has ever begun”</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="center">
  <p>
    <em>“I would disturb your easy tranquility</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="center">
  <p><em>I'd turn away the sad impossibility of your smile,”</em> She hums the chorus, all the while rocking. Lucian feels warm and fluttery in his stomach, yet there was a growing sense of unease— as if he shouldn’t be watching this.</p>
</div><div class="center">
  <p>
    <em>“I'd sit there in the sun of the things I like about you</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="center">
  <p>
    <em>I'd sing my songs and find out just what they mean to you”</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="center">
  <p>
    <em>“But most of all I'd like you to be unaware”</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="center">
  <p>
    <em>“And I'd just wander away<br/>
Trailing palm leaves behind me,<br/>
So you don't even know that I've been there”</em>
  </p>
</div><p>It was quiet for a moment, Charlie continuing to rock baby Lucian in her arms, who was slowly drifting into sleep.</p><p><em>“You’re so good with him Charlie, a natural big sister.”</em> Their father whispers. Lucian doesn’t think he’s ever heard Jason sound so soft and encouraging, but then again, he hasn’t had much to go off of. </p><p>Charlie doesn’t look up. <em>“It’s nothing anyone else couldn’t do.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“No, really Charlie, I’m proud of you for being so patient and kind. I love you so much.”</em>
</p><p>When she finally turns toward the screen, there're still bags under her eyes and her hair is still frazzled and she still looks so tired, but the smile Charlie beams at the camera is genuine. <em>“I love you too, Dad.”</em></p><p>The screen cuts to black before continuing to play several shorter scenes of a time Lucian couldn't recall. Charlie playing peek-a-boo with his younger self, making funny faces to hear high pitched laughs, or trying to get him to say words. All the while the screen follows and sways as whoever holds the camera laughs along. In one clip Jason dances around with a deadpan faced Charlie, in another he holds and feeds Lucian. The next shows Charlie snickering as she holds up a butterfly to the face of her wide eyed little brother as they sit in the garden.</p><p>Lucian watches them all in quiet contemplation, feeling strange. Jason and Charlie were the most important people in his life, yet he wasn’t sure if he knew either all that well. He couldn't remember any of these moments with them, and the thought of all the years they had together before he was born was a daunting one. This long haired, almost doe-eyed Charlie and Jason with rumpled appearance and jittery demeanor were unfamiliar— they felt far away.</p><p>Another scene was happening. In this one, Charlie is sitting in an unfamiliar room. Beside her is a sleeping woman, hooked onto an assortment of wires, tubes, and machines Lucian can’t name. He knows this must be <em>Mom</em>. With baby Lucian held in one arm, Charlie extends the other to hold their mother’s hand. She’s smiling sadly. Watching this left Lucian with a squirming, anxious feeling, but he couldn’t bring himself to turn it off. </p><p>Finally, the video cuts one last time.</p><p>The frame fumbles as someone places the camera on the floor of what looked like Lucian’s bedroom. The space itself was dark. Blue light bathed the room in the haunting glow of early morning hours. Charlie’s figure is revealed as she walks over to the large crib that’s no longer there. She lifts up her younger brother, who’s sniffling quietly, and turns to slide them both down to the floor. He can see her face now. She’s pale. Distraught. Her eyes look empty and can’t seem to focus on any one thing. It’s quiet, which only makes it easier to hear muffled yelling somewhere within the house through the mild scratching static.</p><p><em>“It’s–it’s ok,”</em> her voice is breaking, <em>“to be sad. Mom died today.”</em> Her jaw is shaking as shuddering breaths are rushing out of her chest. <em>“She’s gone.”</em> And then there are heavy tears falling down her face, across her nose, over trembling lips. He’s held tight in her arms and when her eyes squeeze shut Charlie lets out a painful sound.</p><p><em>“But even though she isn’t here anymore, I promise Luce, I’ll always protect you.”</em> She’s trying, failing, to wipe away the tears. The distant arguing is getting louder.</p><p>As the scene unfolds, Lucian sits in stunned silence. He knew their mother had died, but her absence was just a way of life. He hadn’t known her and seldom thought about her, which meant there was no longing or missing whoever she was. Yet, there’s a painful lump in his throat. Maybe it wasn’t so much someone dying that saddened him, but rather seeing Charlie mourning that someone. He couldn’t remember a time, if ever, when she had cried. Just like his mother’s near nonexistence, he never really gave a thought to how it must have affected other people. If Charlie were to suddenly disappear Lucian knows he’d cry. Slowly this trail of distressing thoughts cluttered and roiled around in his head. He didn’t notice the front door opening until—</p><p>“Luuuuccce!” The annoyed call of his name caused a jackhammering in his chest and panicked, he looked on helplessly at the mess around the living room. “You’re supposed to stay <em>inside</em> Mrs. Pence’s house when she’s watching y—,” Charlie immediately lapses into silence, as she dismayingly realizes what Lucian is watching.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The song used is called, "I'd Like To Walk Around In Your Mind," by Vashti Bunyan. Its a short, simple song that I think even a canonically bad singer like Charlie could pull off lol. You can listen to it here on a playlist I made while writing this fic:</p><p>https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5yFJSInnaEv6qXVuadZCkc</p><p>The next part should come soon =0=</p></blockquote></div></div>
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